The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Every time a computer connects to the internet, it is in danger of being exposed to malicious activities such as malware, spying, hacking etc. It is also true that internet access is a necessity for conducting daily activities of a business and personal nature. For an individual, personal information needs protection. For companies, spying or malware are a constant problem to contend with. Generally, companies spend millions of dollars and time to devise ways to protect their digital files and other such information that is under their control.
To combat information theft, some work places isolate particular computers, such as bank teller terminals, for example, from accessing the internet. However, other computers at such institutions (e.g., internet banking) require a connection to the internet.
In this regard, there are many known methods for preventing unauthorized access and data loss. Several conventional steps involve the use of passwords, anti-malware programs, computer history and tracking deletion programs, and virus protection programs. Although these methods and programs provide some level of protection, there are many new reports of unauthorized access and data loss each year.
With regard to the above noted software solutions, the conventional means of activating the same is to utilize a password. This password is compared in software and once verified provides the password holder with full access to the system and its defense programs. In this regard, most conventional passwords must be short enough for a user to remember and enter each time. Unfortunately, passwords consisting of between 6 and 8 characters can be easily cracked by a hacker with a sufficient computing power and, once the unauthorized user obtains the password, they can take full control and lock out the authorized user and/or change the computer defense systems. However, longer passwords have their own risks because they are extremely difficult to remember, thus causing many users to write them down in a place that can be easily found by others.
To solve all these inconveniences contained in the state of the art, the present invention provides a novel system and method for protecting data from external threats, as outlined in the following description.